Guinea-Bissau Escudo

The Guinea-Bissau escudo coins of 1970-1975 were minted in Lisbon using the same machinery as Portuguese currency, a practical decision that underscored the colony's administrative ties without any fanfare.

This meant they carried identical designs, like the Portuguese coat of arms and the profile of President Américo Tomás on later issues. No distinct symbols marked them for African use; they were just escudo coins, plain and unadorned. Mintage figures are murky—records from that era often vanished amid political upheaval.

Struck from cupro-nickel, these coins ranged from 1 to 50 escudos and circulated in daily life, from market stalls to official transactions. By 1975, as independence loomed, they became obsolete almost overnight.

Oddly enough, some ended up in collections as novelties, not for their rarity but because they outlasted the regime that issued them.